Alternative Uses for Fireplace Ash

Pest Repellent

• Wood ash can be a good way to keep those pests away from your flower or vegetable garden. Sprinkle the ash around the garden to keep them from eating your flowers or vegetables. Ash will mainly repel snails and slugs. It will need to be sprinkled around the garden after it rains.

Control Pond Algae

• Adding one tablespoon per 1,000 gallons of water to a pond adds enough potassium to increase the strength of other water plants. They will then compete with the algae and keep the algae's growth down.

Make Soap

• Soak the fireplace ash in water to make lye. The lye can then be mixed with the fat of animals and boiled to make soap. Mix some salt in to harden it as it cools.

Fertilizer

• Ash contains enough nutrients to be used as a natural fertilizer for your garden. It contains potassium carbonate, iron, phosphate, manganese, boron, copper and zinc, all of which can be used to help your flowers or vegetables grow. However, use it sparingly because wood ash can also increase the pH level of soil.

Melting Ice

• Wood ash can melt ice off car windows, sidewalks and other surfaces. It is more environmentally friendly than using salt and other anti-ice chemicals.

Cleaning

• Wood ash can be used to clean silverware, brass and glass. Dip a damp rag into the ash to wipe these items with it. Be sure there is no dirt or other types of garbage mixed in with the ash before using it for cleaning. Ash should be stored in a metal container with a lid on top to keep it for cleaning purposes.